


Reaching an Agreement

by JTR01



Category: Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25291558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JTR01/pseuds/JTR01
Summary: The Doctor didn't think through his plan to give the Master an android body. Now to prevent himself from dismantling the android piece by piece, they have to reach an agreement in order to live together.
Relationships: Ninth Doctor (Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka) & The Master (Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Reaching an Agreement

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small one shot concerning the Shalka Doctor and Master before Scream of the Shalka.

The Doctor knew he has a terrible habit of getting emotional and not thinking things through to their logical conclusion. He liked to think he always made the logical choice when confronted with a problem, but the truth was that he always responded to everything with his emotions instead of cold hard facts. If he used logic his life would be much more convenient and stress free, but he never did and now he was stuck living with his worst enemy.

He often wondered what he had been thinking when he had made the stupid decision to bring the Master back to life as an android. No, that's wrong because he knew exactly what he had been thinking. He has been thinking that for the first time in centuries he was alone and he no longer remembered how to survive being by himself anymore. He's lost people, that was a fact of his existence but for surprisingly he has not been alone for a long time now. Before retiring to live on Gallifrey again he had never been without a companion and while on Gallifrey he had more friends than he ever had when he was at the Academy. Then they were all gone, his wife and his friends were stolen away from him along with his freedom, and he was left alone for the first time in a long time. So when he came across the Master, out of lives and slowly dying, he made a decision which he knew would be a mistake but he couldn't stop himself from committing. In retrospect he should have gone with the idea of a hologram of one of his past incarnations to keep him company, it would have been the smarter and saner thing to do. He talks to himself anyway so it wouldn't be weird or anything.

For the first few days after the Doctor has helped his oldest friends, he lived in fear about what the Master would do. Just because there were safeguards in his artificial body which prevented him from actually harming someone or the Doctor, that didn't meant the Doctor should just let his guard down. Trusting the Master has never truly worked out for the best in the long run, because no matter what he would do something that showed the universe what sort of monster he was. And he was proven correct in his suspicions when he went to his library to find that all his books had been placed in the incorrect order and later on when he found that the TARDIS only provided dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate.

A small part of him could acknowledge how funny it was that the Master, who had once killed one quarter of the universe by accident and in all honesty has probably killed more than that on purpose, was now reduced to childish pranks to get his revenge on his sworn enemy. The Doctor had tried to ignore it but the truth was that he wasn't a patient person which is why he found himself sitting opposite to the Master in the library. They needed to talk this out before the Doctor ends up dismantling him piece by piece.

"So I think we can both agree this has gone on long enough right?" the Doctor asked as calmly as he could while the Master glared at him. "We have to reach some sort of compromise so we can live together peacefully, or there is going to be a problem."

"Well since you are in control of everything I do, you're the only one who can cause a problem. Why don't you restrict my movements more so I'll stop annoying you? Or better yet, just switch me off like I'm a computer." the Master responded like a child, crossing his arms with a huff of annoyance. At that moment the Doctor would have done anything, absolutely anything, to undo his decision to give the Master and android body. When he had decided to do that, this wasn't what he had imagined he would end up doing.

"Ok I get the point. You want more personal freedom." the Doctor said without bothering to hide his annoyance. But he could understand why he wanted more freedom as he had to let the Doctor know where he was at all times and several areas of the TARDIS were off limits. While he was allows to fly the TARDIS if needed, some vital buttons and levers were forbidden to him which the Doctor knew could prove to be a problem in the future considering the life he led. The Doctor would probably be trying to kill himself if he was stuck with that life.

"But there still have to be rules, you do understand that?" he asked as he hoped the Master would be reasonable. While it was incredibly rare and unlikely, it can happen if the Doctor was really lucky.

"Of course I understand. I understand the basic rules. I won't leave the TARDIS, break the TARDIS, betray you or kill anyone. Though I do wish you would reconsider that last one it would make life much more convenient." the Master told the Doctor, who only rolled his eyes before speaking.

"And if anyone else is here, I don't want you to intimidate, scare or hypnotism them. You are to be respectful at all times and help them when needed." the Doctor added calmly, acknowledging how the annoyance on the Master's face was growing. "In return you don't have to let me know where you are all the tome, you will be allowed more control and access of the TARDIS, and with observation you will be allowed to make alterations to your body."

"What do you mean I can't hypnotize anyone? That's the only enjoyment I can get now." the Master said angrily. "I'm rather fine with this body, so why can't I be honest about my feelings in regards to any pets you pick up? If this is to be my prison at least give me some entertainment."

"Fine, but there have to be limits. Only something harmless and not when we are in danger." the Doctor told the android firmly. The Master didn't need to know that there was not going to be a third member of this ship, so there was no problem with agreeing to that.

"Of course, you don't have to explain that. It's pretty obvious." the Master responded before adding some things of his own. "And my final condition is that I want you to cook dinner every Friday."

"What! No, that's not happening." the time traveller argued, refusing to budge. "You don't even need to eat."

"No I don't, but doesn't this body allow me to eat and drink if I desire to do so?" the Master asked, smirking at the Doctor's reaction. "And I won't be so quick to refuse Doctor, otherwise I will never tell you where I have hidden your toys."

"They are not toys, they are action figures and they are very rare." the Doctor replied while trying to calm down, realising he was beaten and regretting that he had chosen that to be his hobby instead of something normal like penny collecting. "Fine, you win. I'll make dinner ever Friday. Are we done now?"

"Yes Doctor, we are done. I'm sure there is more to discuss but for now I find these terms acceptable." the Master responded and the Doctor only glared more when he saw the Master was trying to resist the urge to laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh nothing. I'm just happy to see that I've finally domesticated you." the Master said before laughing out loud, an the Doctor angrily got up before walking away.

Yes, he really regretted his choice. He was starting to wonder if he should just regenerate and let someone else deal with this hell. It was becoming very difficult to decide whether staying as this incarnation was worth putting up with the Master.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think and if there are any spelling mistakes or sentences that the don't make sense.


End file.
